PHOTOS: Delta: Emede, Igbide Boil Again, Five Feared Killed, 25 Houses Burnt, As Residents Flee In Droves

A renewed crisis has erupted in two Isoko communities, Delta state.

BIGPENNGR.COM understands the development following an unprovoked attack launched by one of the communities against the other between Tuesday morning and Wednesday.

Eyewitness claimed that the crisis broke out after some youths from Igbide allegedly abducted an Emede indigene from his farmland.

Emede, Igbide had been on each other jugular for years over boundary dispute but the latest mayhem may not be far unconnected to leadership crisis rocking Igbide. The age-long boundary dispute between the two communities had in 1986 to 1987 caused the death of over a hundred persons and destruction of several houses.

A source who preferred anonymity claimed that Emede has loss about five residents while three were injured in the renewed onslaught from youths suspected to be hired mercenaries by neighbouring Igbide.

The source mentioned those who were hacked to death by the invaders to include one Goodless, Stephen Abade, Edwin Edominekede, Cereal Ogbalor and one Sunday. The victims are all indigenes of Emede community, our source added.

One of the sources who gave his name as Kome narrated that the bloody attack started on Tuesday from the bush where a farmer was attacked by armed Igbide youths, a development which snowballed on Wednesday, leading to the death of four others.

“At the bush, the armed Igbide youths killed one of our person. Tuesday night, they also invaded our community where they shot sporadically, using sophisticated weapons,” he said.

“On Wednesday, the armed Igbide youths also invaded our community with sophisticated weapons, shooting sporadically and left another four of our people dead while over 25 houses were set ablaze in the community before they left.

“The Igbide armed youths attacked us unexpectedly on Wednesday morning. Their guns are too sophisticated, and we don’t have weapons that can match them hence they had a field day killing our people, burning our houses and other properties and left unchallenged,” the source said.

“They burnt several house about 25 of them. They burnt shops and the market. It was a terrible situation for us. They entered inside Emede town shooting sporadically and as people were running they were just burning houses worth millions of naira”.

Meanwhile, soldiers have been drafted to the troubled communities to quell the upheaval.

Residents of Emede, according to our correspondent before the deployment were seen fleeing the town in droves for fear of being caught in a possibly reprisal attack.

Chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area, Itiako Constantine Ikpokpo, reacting to the crisis, described the situation as very embarrassing, even as he blamed the crisis on the failure of leadership in both communities.

“It’s a regrettable and embarrassing situation we have at hand. Just yesterday, Tuesday, we held a meeting with both communities and just today, Wednesday, they are taking up arms against themselves. This shows there are dangerous weapons in their possession. While others are using their weapons to chase away herdsmen, they are using theirs to kill themselves,” he said.

“I have reached out to the governor who in turn reached out to the state commissioner of police, the brigade commander and the DSS and I can tell you they are all on the ground to curb the situation. I am appealing to both warring communities to sheath their swords and embrace peace,” added.

When contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, asked that a message be sent to her mobile line which has not been responded to as at the time of this report.

This is a developing story…